With the West Asia war affecting supply chain logistics around the world, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has issued a poignant appeal to all citizens. In Hyderabad, a recent address by Narendra indicated that even a reduction of 10 percent in the consumption of edible oils is good for our health and acts as patriotism. By lowering our dependence on importing oils, we save our currency at such critical junctures in time. Economic self-defense is not synonymous with compromising on taste. India boasts of several traditional cooking methods that preserve nutrition without using a single drop of oil. Here are five dishes from different regions of India to sample at home.
From the colourful culinary world of Gujarat comes the khaman dhokla, a spongy dish made out of fermented gram flour. Although tempering in cooking oil is advised in most dishes, this step can be completely omitted in case of khaman dhokla. Sprinkle some fresh coriander leaves, green chillies and lemon juice on it.
The Siddu is a traditional steamed bread that is popular in Himachal Pradesh. It consists of dough prepared from flour and yeast, filled with a mixture of poppy seeds, walnuts and regional spices. It is traditionally eaten with ghee, but it can be accompanied by a tomato and mint chutney for an oil-free meal.
The culinary artistry of Bengal is famous for the ‘bhapa’ cooking method. Bhapa ilish (hilsa steamed) is an epitome of minimalism. The fish is marinated with a paste made of mustard seeds and green chilies before being steam-cooked in a sealed vessel. The inherent oils in the fish and mustard serve as the source of all fats needed.
A traditional breakfast item in Kerala, puttu is prepared using the steaming technique of layering ground rice and coconut shavings in a mould. It is completely oil-free and can be enjoyed with black chickpea curry or bananas.
The traditional method of steaming makes the best use of available resources in Nagaland, where fresh ingredients are used without altering their natural flavour. Fish fillets are marinated in spices including ginger, garlic, bamboo shoot and chili and then cooked using the steam-cooking technique.
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